Titus Day accused of defrauding Guy Sebastian out of $1.15m
The bitter dispute between Guy Sebastian and Titus Day took a dramatic twist overnight.
NSW Police arrested Day at his home in Bondi at 6.30pm on Wednesday for allegedly defrauding Sebastian of more than $1.15 million over a seven-year period.
The allegations against Day were first reported to South Sydney detectives on June 3, after which South Sydney Police detectives launched an investigation.
NSW Police noted “inconsistencies in financial documentation and bank account records”, leading to 62 charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.
Police will allege in court that Day knowingly withheld $1.15 million between December 2013 and April 2020. He appeared via video link at Waverley Local Court today (July 2).
He was granted a $10,000 conditional bail and instructed to relinquish his passport and will next face court on July 21.
Detective Acting Inspector Guy Magee said investigations had also uncovered a handful of other alleged Day fraud victims, and encouraged them to come forward.
“He had lawful access to the money, it’s a case of he simply failed to forward the amounts at the appropriate times,” Magee told reporters. “It’s based on trust and a breach of trust.”
The singer said in a statement today that he hopes the case serves as an example to all artists about the importance of transparency and trust between a manager and an artist.
As reported by TMN on May 21, Sebastian’s legal team sought to amend his Federal Court case against Day after discovering that some neighbouring rights royalties went missing.
An application filed with the court on May 20 alleges that Day directed a neighbouring rights business to transfer the funds to an unknown bank account.
The neighbouring rights business first tried to deposit the payment into an account controlled by Day’s now-liquidated management company 6 Degrees, according to Sebastian’s lawyers.
In the email correspondence, obtained by TMN on May 21, the neighbouring rights business requested a new destination for the funds after the initial deposit to 6 Degrees bounced.
As first reported by TMN in February, Day recently established a new management company with wife Courtney, signing Christine Anu and The Voice Australia winner Diana Rouvas.
The signing of Anu and Rouvas by the Day’s signals a fresh start for the couple, as they look to rebuild their management business after a number of very public breakups.
Alongside Anu and Rouvas, the pair now manage Australian Idol winner Damien Leith, media personality James Mathison and children’s entertainer Sam Moran.
Sebastian is now managed by Private Idaho’s Jennifer Fontaine, who also reps Human Nature.